Challenge

A new enterprise brief was given to us in class: design a product or service that encourages better food waste habits. I was excited to take on the challenge, but I quickly realised that the problem was more complex than it seemed. Food waste wasn't just about people throwing away food — it was about the systems and habits that led to that waste in the first place.

DISCOVER

Primary research lead my curiosity towards climate action and how ___. INCLUDE STATISTICS HERE

Main insight from research

There is a lack understanding of the food waste system, which makes using food scrap bins feel unnecessary. As a result, more food ends up in landfill.

DEFINE

But... why?

This is an issue enough. But I wondered: what was there a lack of understanding of? And why does it make it feel unnecessary?

I looked at my own habits. I thought it would eb appropriate to look at further into the habits of people my age.

I learned:
Sorting waste required too much thinking in fast everyday moments. People know they should sort — they just don't always know how, and the friction is enough to make the habit fall apart. Young adults living independently in Auckland, who are environmentally aware but struggles with to use the food scrap bins, due to inconvenience and knowledge gaps

And the new question turned into...

The scope of the project became:

CLARIFY

Using this information, clarifying my audience After, proposing the solution, and did extensive research on competitors. Learning that__

Beru's user journey

As for the positioning...

To understand where I can position myself in the market, I did further research on competitors with similar products. I found that most solutions were ___ so I took key features to apply to my solution.

My SWOT analysis on competitors

With my new found user insights and competitor analysis, the purpose and features for the service became clear.

CONCEPTUALISE

OUTCOME

A prototype of the service app, coded.

REFLECTION

I thought...

this project made me realise I’m more interested in understanding people than designing interfaces. I became more drawn to the thinking behind user behaviour. What people do, why they do it, and how those patterns can inform better design decisions. Instead of focusing purely on the final output, I found myself valuing the process of research, observation, and uncovering insight.